Secrets
by FredFanatic
Summary: Alicia's upset because Ange has a secret...Katie tells her there are always going to be secrets between friends. Now Fred's upset: what's Katie keeping from him? A Katie/Fred one-shot.


**A/N:** Just a little one-shot Katie/Fred drabble... If you happen to read it please review.

**--Secrets--**

"I still can't believe she didn't tell me that she's dating Lee!" Alicia wailed for what seemed to be the thousandth time today.

Fred let out a fake snore from beside me on the squashy sofa. I didn't blame him. Alicia had been annoying the bloody hell out of all of us ever since she discovered that Angelina had been hiding her relationship with Lee from her.

It happened early yesterday afternoon…She accidentally walked in on them snogging on my bed in our dormitory, and she hasn't stopped whining about it since. Honestly, if anyone has any right to be whining it's me! They were on _my_ bed after all. I had to burn my sheets when I found out! There's no way I would sleep on the same sheets that they had been fooling around on…the thought makes me cringe.

"Honestly, Leesh, what does it matter?" I asked, elbowing Fred in the gut as he let out another particularly deafening snore. "She didn't tell any of us either."

"But I'm her _best friend_," Alicia stressed.

"Then why don't you go take it up with her?" Fred suggested, rubbing the spot on his side where I had jabbed him.

"Yeah, I think I saw them heading for a broom closet somewhere," I said as Fred let out several pained sighs, still clutching his ribs. I elbowed him again.

Fred whimpered in pain.

"Oh, you're fine you twit," I growled at him.

He scowled at me.

"I just can't believe she didn't tell me!"

I rolled my eyes at Alicia and let out a yawn. "_You_ haven't told her about your crush on George-pie," I pointed out.

Fred suddenly dropped his injured act and stared slack-jawed at a wide-eyed Alicia.

"_You_ like George?!" he said in shock.

Alicia glared at me in anger.

"Katie!" she bellowed, her face reddening.

"Oh Alicia, calm down," I told her, "The point is, there are always going to be things that even the best of friends don't tell each other."

Fred turned towards me, surveying me in interest. I ignored him.

"Ya, and from now on there'll be lots I'll be keeping from you, Bell!" Alicia snapped.

"Oh come on, Leesh! Fred's not going to say anything," I assured her, hoping for my sake that Fred would keep his mouth shut for once. "All I'm saying is that Ange wasn't ready for anyone to know—it's not a big deal."

Alicia got up from her seat quickly, clearly ignoring the fact that I was making more sense than she was.

"Leesh, where are you going?" I asked exasperated.

"To bed," she said forcefully, storming toward the stairs. "And if either of you say one word to George—or _anyone_—about this, I'll murder you."

With one last threatening glare Alicia marched up the stairs angrily, leaving Fred and I alone in the common room.

"Hmm…she took that well," Fred commented, stretching himself out.

He lay down along the length of the sofa and rested his legs in my lap.

"She'll get over it," I said confidently, putting my feet up on the coffee table in front of me.

"You better hope she does," Fred told me, "Otherwise she'll be killing you in your sleep."

I made a face, picturing Alicia looming over me in the darkness with her wand raised high.

"Wanna switch beds for a few days?" I asked.

"Not a chance, Bell," he replied.

I laughed, but found that Fred did not join in on the joke with me. His eyes were staring straight ahead, seemingly unfocused. He looked as though he were deep in thought.

"Fred?" I asked, surveying him with concern. "Is something wrong?"

Whatever trance Fred had been in broke and he turned to face me, his familiar trademark smirk greeting me.

"Not at all."

--

It had been a total of four days since Angelina and Lee's relationship had been brought out into the open, and everyone was already sick of it. The two snogged every chance they could get anywhere that was convenient for them. The good news is, Alicia had given up her complaining, and we all had me to thank for it.

Once I had let it slip to Fred about Alicia's feelings for his twin, Fred had informed George. This had apparently been exactly what George needed in order to share his own feelings with the world. The two are now snogging almost as much as Ange and Lee are…wonderful, Katie, really wonderful.

So now, while all of my friends are off snogging each other, I am seated alone in the dark Gryffindor common room, feeling unusually lonely and pathetic.

I yawned deeply and strongly, moving my hand up to my mouth to stifle my exhaustion—it didn't work. I sat next to the crackling fireplace, sprawled out on the cozy sofa where I often spent many of my nights…although usually I was accompanied by the rest of my group.

The entire place was emptied of student life. Everyone had long ago headed up to their dormitories to catch some much needed rest. I, however, had stayed up long past my usual bedtime, sitting in the silence of the empty room. I had absolutely no urge to head upstairs where I knew there would be at least one, but quite possibly two, snogging couples lying in the beds next to mine. I cringed at the thought. Certainly staying in the common room was the better option.

I gazed up at the clock—11:46. It was nearly midnight and Fred wasn't back from his detention yet.

As he and I were the only two left out of our group whom hadn't gone mad and started coupling up, I thought it quite suitable to wait up for him. Who better to share the misery with but another lonely single person?

I could feel sleep tugging at my body and I knew if I waited here much longer I would surely pass out. Not wanting to miss Fred's entrance I stood up and went to the window. I thought if I moved around a bit perhaps sleep would back off for a while.

I glanced out into the darkness of the Hogwarts' grounds. Everything looked peaceful and calm under the blanket of white snow that was enveloping the area. The trees and the ground glimmered in the bright moonlight, lighting up the night sky.

I admired the scenery until my breath had fogged up the window in front of me. Using my finger I traced out my name delicately—_Katie_. It reminded me of when I used to write on the windows of my father's car. He never did appreciate having to clean off my grimy fingerprints from the glass…I wonder if the house-elves will mind.

Enjoying the scenic view of the outdoors, I decided to pull a squashy armchair to the window. Upon doing so, I ungracefully flopped myself down, continuing to stare out at the vast whiteness of the wintry outdoors.

I was still half in my school uniform, as I hadn't yet travelled upstairs to change out of my school clothes. I had kicked my shoes off at some point, but I had no idea where they were lying now—probably under a sofa or chair somewhere. My skirt, blouse and tie were still on, although quite untidily. I had loosened the tie and undone the top buttons of my blouse upon entering the common room, rolling my sleeves up to my elbows. When it came to lying around lazily, being properly dressed was very uncomfortable. My hair, normally pinned up to perfection during classes, now hung in a curly, messy bun that was threatening to give out with every movement of my head.

I closed my eyes, thinking that falling asleep wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. If I did happen to drift off, Fred could just wake me when he got here, no harm would be done. Thus, I let my eyes flutter shut and my mind wander into deep thought.

My mind began to drift back to the first time I had ever met Fred Weasley. It was on my very first train ride on the Hogwarts Express. He and George had stumbled into my compartment while tormenting a few of my female classmates, which ones I can't exactly recall. When they first saw me they gave me their identical freckled-faced grins and extended their hands, shaking mine with such vigorousness that I thought my shoulders would pop out of their sockets.

It was on that very first train ride that the three of us became best mates.

We spent nearly every day together, along with Alicia, Angelina and Lee. We were inseparable, bound together by our fun-loving attitudes and our desire to enjoy everything life has to offer…but it wasn't long before things began to change.

It was during my fourth year at Hogwarts that I realized how I felt about Fred. It wasn't immediate, it was more of a process that had elapsed over many months of laughter, pranks and teasing, but it happened all the same. I'm not even sure what it was that caused me to realize how I felt for him, but all I know is I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since.

Of course, I've never _told_ Fred about my feelings for him, and I have never felt the urge to…well that's not true. I've had the urge to tell him, but I've always stopped myself before I could. Fred and I are always teasing the others for coupling up—we pick on them for falling for their friends. We've even had conversations about how disgusting the idea of the two of us hooking up would be...no, I definitely did not want to tell Fred how I felt.

Now six years have passed since I first met him on the Hogwarts Express, and I have never been closer to anyone in my entire life. We both know we'd do anything for each other—it's an unspoken agreement between us. We've never told each other that…neither of us are much into the idea of expressing our feelings (hence how difficult it would be to breach the subject of my affection for him), and we like it that way. We're buddies, always have been. But we've changed a lot since we were eleven years old…

The sound of someone pushing their way through the portrait hole broke me from my train of thought, but I didn't move. I didn't turn my head to confirm that it was, indeed, Fred returning from his detention. I didn't have to. I knew it was him just by his footsteps.

I heard him stop moving, obviously taking in the scene in front of him. I kept my eyes clamped shut and remained silent, pretending to be asleep.

I heard him chuckle softly and moments later I heard his soft footsteps cross the common room. I felt him sink into my chair next to me, as he slipped his arms around me in the process.

He laid his head to rest on top of mine, and I felt him let out a sigh. I contemplated the sigh…it wasn't one I was familiar with. It wasn't a sigh of contentment, or exhaustion…it wasn't out of anger or sadness…but what it was, I couldn't determine.

I lay there, my eyes still shut, in silence for a few moments puzzling over the atmosphere in the room. Fred's arms felt tense around me, and his breathing wasn't as steady as it usually was. He seemed uncomfortable—upset by something.

"Why are you so late?" I asked, deciding to break the silence.

He jolted a little, startled that I wasn't asleep.

"Ahh, sorry about that Kate," he whispered, "Apparently Snape finds me too darn attractive to let me go at a decent hour."

I snickered at his joke, but didn't open my eyes. His arms still didn't feel right.

I opened one of my eyes and squinted at him, hoping to unlock the secret that was plaguing his mind. Obviously something was bothering him, or he wouldn't be so unnatural. It couldn't possibly just be the exhaustion…Fred never behaved oddly around me, no matter how tired he was.

Fred's eyes were open wide. He didn't look tired at all. His lips were pulled down in a small frown and in the dim lighting I could almost see his thoughts flickering across his face. Something was definitely troubling him.

"What's on your mind?" I asked, trying to sound casual. I didn't want to let him know that his behaviour was bothering me. He had me completely mystified.

His eyes flickered back to mine and he smiled. I could tell it was forced.

"Just deciding whether I want to risk heading upstairs to get changed…who knows what's up there to greet me," he made a face at the thought of Alicia and George—or Angelina and Lee.

I wasn't satisfied by his answer—I could tell he was faking it—but I wasn't sure if I wanted to press it anymore. Maybe he doesn't want me to know. Usually, if something's bothering Fred he just comes out and says it. There's never been any hesitation between us. We tell each other everything…well…almost everything. But whatever he was keeping from me couldn't possibly be the same as what I was keeping from him.

"Besides the obvious nausea…what else is bothering you?" I pressed, deciding I was curious enough to ask.

He quirked his eyebrow at me.

"What makes you think something's bothering me?"

"I can tell."

He let out another sigh. This one I knew—it was contemplative, deliberating…he was trying to decide whether or not to tell me the truth.

"Just tell me, Fred," I urged him.

He turned toward me, his eyes shining in the moonlight coming in through the window.

"Ok," he said, "I'll tell you…on one condition."

"What condition?" I asked, feeling less drowsy now that I was making headway with our conversation.

"No, no, you have to agree to my condition without knowing what it is. I'll tell you what it is afterwards."

The boy drives a hard bargain…

"Deal."

I was too curious to back away now.

"The other day, when Alicia was angry with Ange for not telling her about Lee…"

"Yeah?"

"You said something to her that's kind of been bothering me," he told me.

I made a face. I puzzled over what I could possibly have said to upset him, but I came up blank. The details of my conversation with Alicia were blurry.

"Um…what did I say, exactly?" I asked.

"You said…'There are always going to be things that even the best of friends don't tell each other'…"

He frowned at the memory.

I squinted up at him in the darkness, unsure of why this was upsetting him.

"So?"

He looked hurt when his eyes met mine again.

"What do you mean, _so_?"

"I mean, what's the problem? Why did that upset you?" I clarified.

"If what you said is true, that means you're keeping something from me," he replied.

I froze. I did not like where this conversation was going now.

"No I'm not," I said. The lie in my voice was obvious.

He looked at me sceptically, and I knew there was no sense in trying to deceive him.

"Ok, fine," I said, "But you've got to be keeping something from me, too. Everyone has their secrets."

"No," he contradicted, "I don't keep anything from you."

I bit down on my bottom lip in fear and in anguish. If he was telling the truth, that meant there was no possibility of him returning my feelings. The thought wouldn't bother me much on a regular day, but I had a feeling Fred's condition was going to come in to play and ruin my life…

"Surely you do," I pressed.

"Nope."

I slumped my shoulders in defeat, knowing I had been bested. I only hoped he wouldn't ask me to tell him my secret. I sighed, already knowing he would.

"So, now that I've told you what's been bothering me," he said, "I want to know what you've been hiding."

I winced.

"Is it that bad?" he questioned, laughing at my expression.

"I don't want to tell you," I admitted.

"We had a deal Katesy," he reminded me.

I briefly contemplated coming up with a lie, but I immediately squashed that idea. Fred would surely see right through me.

I let out an exasperated sigh and prepared myself for the worst. If Fred didn't take this well, it may just ruin our friendship. Maybe he would find it too weird to be friends with a person who thought about him as more than a friend…

I tried not to think of the repercussions as I spat it out.

"I like you," I said, clamping my eyes shut. "And not just in the best friend way that I should…but I _really_ like you."

I waited, holding my breath and refusing to open my eyes. I had my face cuddled into his chest in order to hide from his reaction.

To my complete surprise, he laughed…hard.

"What's so funny?" I asked, looking up at him in shock and hurt.

I had just admitted my feelings to him and he was _laughing_ at me? This wasn't a good day for my ego…

"_That_ was your secret?" he asked incredulously.

I looked up at him in shock.

"Yes!"

He let out another round of laughter.

"Well I already knew _that_!"

My shock turned to horror as I stared up at his grinning features. How did he know? I never told anyone! And if he already knew, why didn't he tell me?

"You knew?!"

He laughed again.

"Of course I knew!" he replied, "Well that's a load off my mind…here I thought it was something huge. I guess I really should have known…you're no good at keeping secrets from me."

"Fred!"

"What?" he asked.

I was speechless, and utterly mortified. How could this have happened?

"Come on, Katie. You weren't exactly good at hiding it," he smirked at me. "But I have no idea why it's bothering you anyway. I mean, obviously I knew about it. Anyone who has half a brain could tell that we like each other."

"But I—"

I stopped midsentence, his words catching up with me.

"What did you say?" I asked.

He grinned again.

"Wait, you're telling me that _you_ fancied _me_ this entire time?" I asked, my voice reaching new heights in the squeaky department.

"You mean you didn't know?" he asked, surprised.

"No I didn't know!"

"Hmm," he said, "Well now you do."

At that moment, while I was feeling completely mortified and embarrassed, my heart was fluttering beyond anything I've ever experienced before. Fred grinned down at me.

"What do you say we have a slumber party down here?" he suggested, "That way neither of us has to endure what's looming upstairs."

I was a little taken aback by how calm he was. He didn't seem concerned at all about what had just happened between the two of us…although I suppose from his perspective, nothing _did_ happen.

"Sounds good," I said, feeling completely mystified by his behaviour and sudden declaration.

In an instant, Fred had whipped out his wand and conjured up pillows and blankets for two. I recognized the cover—it was the same one he had been using since first year.

We stayed silent as the two of us settled into place. Fred made a makeshift bed out of two of the larger armchairs. He surprised me when he pulled me down next to him, sharing his comforter with me.

He wrapped his arms around me and I snuggled into his chest, not caring at all how bizarre this night had turned out to be. Things were always a little strange with Fred Weasley.

As he cuddled me close I took note that his arms felt much more normal around me now. He wasn't tense or worried anymore. He was just Fred…_my_ Fred.

We were quiet for several minutes before I brought up something that was on my mind.

"Fred?" I said, shifting to look up at him in the dim moonlight.

"Yes, Katie?"

"Why didn't you tell me you knew?" I asked.

He grinned cheekily at me.

"There are some things even the best of friends don't tell each other."

Then he gently pressed his lips to mine, sending shivers all through my body. It only lasted a second, and when he pulled away he merely grinned again.

"Goodnight my Katie."

I grinned back at him, cuddling into his chest once more as I placed a sweet kiss on his cheek.

"Goodnight my Fred."


End file.
